A Step Forward
by NoelleWynters
Summary: Even though Will had been thinking of retrieving his heart, he hadn't given it much more consideration. That was until one morning at the diner after a conversation with Cyrus and Ruby, two rather annoying little rays of sunshine so far as he was concerned.


_Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing, this is all for fun._

_As well, this comes after (I wish this had a series option like the other site) **Safe**__, **A Storybrooke Christmas**, **For Times Gone By**, **Morning Conversations** and **Never Let Me Go**._

January felt like the longest month, or at least it did in this realm. Maybe it was because three months prior there was always a holiday coming up to prepare for and be excited over. No matter what, you had a reason to get together with friends and family, something was always coming but then came January and it all came to a dead halt.

It always felt like one long hangover to Will. He loved Hallowe'en, there was nothing quite like getting into mischief and pulling one over on some of the slower inhabitants in the town of Storybrooke, not that he'd do that now with magic returned. He was fairly certain if he annoyed the wrong person with the right connections that little trick with his Christmas gifts would look like child's play compared to what could happen if Regina got it into her head to do something wicked to him.

After that came Thanksgiving and finally Christmas, a time for family and friends. And as Cyrus had pointed out to him on Christmas Eve, it was a season about love. Thanksgiving was spent in giving thanks for all those in your life, be glad you had them as your existence would be dimmed without each and every person to share it with. Christmas was the one he had begun to associate more with love. It really wasn't the fact the genie had pointed that out to him, he'd known that all along, he simply preferred to take the more cynical view on most everything and see it for what it had become over what it began as. It was easier, being without a heart and all that.

A particularly cold gust of wind hit him full in the face, making Will huddle more into himself as he walked down the main street of Storybrooke, once more wondering what had possessed him to even consider going out for a walk that morning. It was a bitter, miserably cold day with no redeeming qualities. There was no reason to be out, yet he found himself walking along and starting to think he might need to pop into Granny's for a hot cup of coffee to thaw himself out.

As he turned the corner onto the street the diner was on, he bumped into someone. Someone slightly taller than himself with a mess of dark hair and who was for once starting to feel the cold.

"You know Cyrus, we really need to stop bumping into each other like this," Will quipped, laughing slightly at the curious look that crossed the genie's face. He would have continued with the teasing, but the fact he could see his breath and he felt like his only other breathing passage was about to freeze over, he decided against it. "It is just a figure of speech; really, someone needs to buy you a book on all that. Are you not cold?"

Cyrus nodded; for once he was feeling the cold. Some genies were elemental to fire, but he had a feeling he wasn't exactly one of them. Of course having been mortal at one time might have something to do with it, but on this particular morning he was fairly convinced he was going to freeze. "It is chilly out here," he observed, as Will laughed.

"Yeah well, you're looking a little rosy so I'd guess your skin is getting a touch chapped. How about we get ourselves something warm to drink at Granny's, my treat," he suggested as he led the way to the diner.

"I have my own money," Cyrus argued, meeting his gait easily.

"The fact you're feeling the cold is a need to celebrate in my books. Don't give me that look, after that day in the city you didn't even notice the cold I need to celebrate, I swore you couldn't feel any change in temperature," he laughed.

Cyrus didn't bother arguing with that, he was just glad to be going in somewhere warm and the idea of a hot drink was tempting. He'd been a touch foolish when heading out that morning with Belle to the library, and fancied he wouldn't need a hat or his mittens. In a way, he'd been right. It wasn't that bad going from a vehicle to a building, but walking around in the bitter cold without either was not one of his smarter moves.

The little bell over the door announced Will's arrival, Cyrus walked in behind him. A wide smile crossed the Knave's face as he scanned the room for somewhere to sit. "Hey Granny, two coffees! One with cream and lots of sugar, one without as my mythical friend here is already too syrupy sweet," he called out as he flopped down in a nearby booth.

Cyrus slipped into the seat across from him, giving him an annoyed glare. "I do wish you'd stop referring to me in such a manner," he insisted as Will shrugged his jacket off.

"Oh come on, it is all in fun. Can't you take a joke?" he inquired as Ruby walked over with the two coffees.

She set Will's down unceremoniously, a bit of the liquid sloshing out onto the table. "He knows you, so he must be able to take a few," she quipped whilst setting the other coffee down in front of Cyrus with a bright smile.

He thanked her, smiling back. Will just watched the exchange in slight disbelief. "Oye, why are you being nice to him?" he asked, mopping up the spilled coffee with a napkin.

Ruby leveled him with a look to kill. "He didn't blow a hole in the floor of the diner, now did he?"

"It is sort of his fault. If Jafar and Anastasia hadn't locked him up in a silver cage that bloody rabbit wouldn't have come to get me, to go get Alice to in turn go get her genie. So really, you should be splashing his coffee about too," he argued.

"Yeah, well he didn't steal the spare keys and take off with them for months on end either," she returned, and then walked away to see to other diners before Will could make another argument.

Cyrus lifted his mug up to take a drink, trying to keep from laughing. He did find Will a little hard to get along with at times, due to his rather flippant way of looking at life, but he was well meaning. He was glad the Knave had gone to find Alice and bring her back to Wonderland to rescue him, despite all the risks involved.

"I noticed you called her Anastasia," he commented, getting an annoyed glance from Will.

"Means nothing, just a slip," Will said, looking towards Ruby who was leaning up against the counter. He was marveling how she could handle to dress in her normal fashion in such cold weather. He was fairly certain he'd heard it was at least minus thirty outside, not adding in the wind chill. But he couldn't help appreciate her choice of clothing.

Cyrus grinned, obviously that chat on New Year's had gotten Will thinking even more about retrieving his heart. He'd never told anyone at home about the conversation he'd had with Will concerning that, mostly because it was unexpected but he didn't want to betray his confidence. He hadn't given him leave to mention his thoughts on that particular matter to anyone else. "If you insist."

Will rolled his eyes, it was rather aggravating how perceptive Cyrus could be. He knew it came with the life he'd led before meeting Alice, but it was still annoying. He couldn't hide much from the genie, no matter how hard he tried.

He took a long drink of his coffee before even acknowledging the fact he could tell Cyrus was waiting for an explanation. Instead, he found himself asking questions instead of giving answers. "How do you do it?"

That caught Cyrus by surprise. "Do what?"

"How do you stay so optimistic about life? Like we discussed before, you've been given the short end of the stick in life. Your father was the ultimate bad back in your time and you are the one who was punished. Sure, the guy ended up dead regardless, but you'll never be free of that punishment. So long as Rumpel lives, you're technically free but are you not afraid of something happening? There are a lot of people who want him dead, old hook for hand excluded," Will wondered, setting his mug back down and feeling a little disappointed it was almost empty.

A slight hint of worry flashed through the genie's eyes, obviously he'd entertained the thought that one day Rumpel could be killed and he'd be tossed back into the never ending cycle of going from one master to another. And in this realm there were a lot of greedy people, and even more that wouldn't understand the laws of magic like back in their own realm. "How else can one live? If I spend my time worrying about what could be, I will miss out on what I have now," he answered.

"I just don't get it, I've had a hard life, heck everyone in this town has had some form of misfortune or other. I'm not saying you've got the worst life ever, but it ranks up there. You're a bloody slave for crying out loud, how can you be so cheery about life?" Will blurted out, putting his elbows on the table and leaning into his hands.

Cyrus smiled sadly, he actually hated being reminded of what he was and he couldn't really argue it. "There is no point in becoming bitter over something that cannot be changed Will, it only poisons your thoughts."

"And what would you know about that?" Will asked, a smirk settling over his features.

"I've seen many of my masters dwell on the past, yearn for what they could not have and want to wish it all back when it was not possible. It tore them up inside, and it destroyed their lives. You cannot change the past, all you can do is accept what has been while you move forward and remember what has happened. Cherish those you loved who passed out of your life, and learn from the mistakes that were made," Cyrus explained as Ruby walked over to see if anyone needed their coffee topped up.

Will held up his mug with a bright grin spreading across his face. Ruby poured some of the hot liquid into the white mug, rolling her eyes as she dropped a few creamers on the table and walked away.

Before turning his attention back to the conversation at hand, he had to get in another appreciative glance at Ruby. The glare he received from Granny went unnoticed by him, but Cyrus saw it and managed to hold back from laughing. Instead he turned the conversation around a bit.

"She still loves you," he stated, pulling Will out of whatever thought he was entertaining at that exact moment.

He turned back to look at the genie across from him, a disbelieving look in his blue eyes. "Right, well she had a funny way of showing it, marrying a king and all. Not to mention that attempt at having me beheaded. If that is her idea of showing love she needs to rethink it. And how the bloody hell would you know what she felt anyway?"

Cyrus shook his head, he hadn't been awake that long in the presence of either Jafar or the Red Queen, but he'd been able to sense sadness in her. With Jafar, all that seemed to lay beneath the surface was a storm of violent emotions and he'd never been able to decipher them. It was almost exhausting to be in the presence of the sorcerer, and he was already battling the effects of the silver that kept him contained in the cage.

With the Red Queen he could tell beneath her cold exterior she was hiding remorse. She'd done something in her past that she regretted deeply, and would do anything to turn back the hands of time to reverse the event. He was rarely left alone with her, not at first. It was obvious Jafar didn't trust her, but as Cyrus had quickly noted the woman didn't trust the sorcerer either. He always wondered how they planned to work together to achieve their joint goal if they had no faith the other would follow through, not that he wanted them to get what they desired of him.

Near the end of his captivity though, Jafar for some reason saw no harm in leaving her alone in his abode. The woman seemed to roam at will, and Cyrus would see her often. There were moments he wanted to help her, to find out why she seemed so sad, and what she had done that she thought only Jafar could help her undo. But she was never forthcoming with words and he was normally drained due to the silver so he never pressed the subject. It wasn't as though she was starting conversations with him, once in awhile it seemed she wanted to talk, but always held off. He figured she was afraid he might tell Jafar what she said, in a bid for the sorcerer to go easy on him in whatever he had planned.

Of course he never would have told Jafar one word, but with the new information he'd discovered through both Alice and Will he had pieced it all together. It was the Knave of Hearts that was the cause of her sorrow; she regretted her choices that had effectively ended his love for her.

The Red Queen was desperate to go back to a time when she was simply Anastasia and love for her shone in Will's eyes. In a way, Cyrus could empathise with her; he may not have made a mistake to cost him someone he loved but he could understand loneliness and no one deserved to suffer their entire existence alone and devoid of love.

"What she did, she was only trying to find a way back to you, by changing the past," Cyrus told the Knave. "She loves you, I would say she loves you more than her status and jewels as she was willing to give it all up just to go back to a time when you were her reason to live."

Will scoffed, what was with some people and these romantic notions? "And you don't see anything wrong with all this? Of all people, I would think you'd see the problem with what she was trying to do with Jafar."

"I didn't say I agreed with what she was trying to do," Cyrus snapped back, sometimes he found Will's outlook on the world in general tiring. If only there was a way to convince him that putting his heart back would be beneficial. "But I do understand loneliness. Believe me, I most certainly did not want to see either of them succeed in whatever plans they had for me, but if she'd spoken to me about her heartache I would have attempted to help her. If she would have responded to that is something no one will ever know, but she deserves a second chance just the same as anyone else. After everything that happened recently I had awoken in my bottle convinced I'd been sent away, and you all were in your rights to do so. If that spell hadn't taken a second time, who knows what I could do? In truth, it would have made sense for my bottle to be placed somewhere no one could ever find it, leaving me alone for eternity over risking what I could do with all that dark magic."

"That's a little different, you haven't killed anyone and never would," Will argued, surprised to hear Cyrus speaking so forcefully. It was rare he raised his voice.

"I would have killed Jafar if you hadn't stopped me. I wanted to kill him, to rid us all of him, after all he had done why did he deserve mercy? Something inside of me snapped, I saw in him every master who had treated me poorly and wanted him to pay for all of it. Who had he harmed and killed in his quest to find me? Why should I allow him to live when I suddenly had the power to end his life? We all have darkness in us Will, but not all of us let it consume us wholly. I could see good in her, she wants to find a way back to it but she doesn't know how, she needs help," he explained, his tone far calmer than it had been only moments prior.

"You know Will," Ruby commented, as she came up to the table again with a coffee pot in hand. "He has a point. We've all done awful things in our lives, to varying degrees, but everyone deserves a second chance if they show remorse for what they did. Besides, you need to find yourself a woman soon. Don't think I haven't noticed your looks and trust me, Granny has as well. And I really don't feel like taking her up on her suggestion to buy a new wardrobe."

"Life was so much easier before that bloody rabbit showed up. I would almost think you're all ganging up on me," he pouted, as Ruby smiled brightly.

"You can't go through your life without love, even if we at times feel like we don't deserve it. I've done some downright awful things, but if someone is willing to love me despite all that I'm not going to turn them down just because I hate myself for what I did. Not sure what this girl did to you, but the least you can do is hear her out," she said.

"Why do you all sound like Cyrus and Alice suddenly? They are infecting you all, it is sickening," he muttered over Ruby's laughter. She simply shook her head and went to tend the other patrons, leaving Will to his musings.

He kicked at the bench seat across from him, not caring he was acting like a petulant child. Everything had been so much easier before the White Rabbit had appeared. If only he'd refused to help, but he couldn't leave Alice to the bad decision she had almost made. And even though he hadn't known Cyrus at the time, it wouldn't have been right to leave him to whatever fate awaited him.

It crossed his mind, how would he react if Anastasia were to walk into the diner right then and there and ask for him to take her back? It was more than obvious she didn't have a clue how to go about it, as she was doing it backwards. Changing the past wouldn't have brought all that back, what if it altered their memories? What would stop her, or even him, from making a similar mistake again?

At that moment, he knew without his heart, he'd turn her away. Even if a tiny part of him wanted her back as well he knew he couldn't love her right then. Nor could he even begin to help her.

He gave the bench across from him a couple more absent minded kicks as he realized he really did have himself a problem. If something wasn't done, what was stopping Anastasia from trying another way to change the past? Would she still seek out the genie, or did she even realize what it was about him that was so special? Jafar didn't seem like one to share his secrets and plans, there was a good chance she had no idea what his importance was but the risk was there.

He knew her better than anyone, when she wanted something she let very little stand in her way. She wanted him back, and he worried what lengths she would go to in an effort to change the past. She obviously wasn't thinking clearly, as there were better ways to go about it all. But he knew Anastasia wasn't always one to take the difficult path if there was an easier way at times.

Did she hate herself so much she thought she was no longer deserving of love? Was that why she wanted the past changed? To wipe both their memories of the mistakes? Could that also be the reason she'd become so cold since he saw her on that balcony, waving to all below with a radiant smile? This was the most infuriating train of thought, and he sadly wasn't going to get any answers unless he spoke to her, and he also felt it was likely high time plans were made to retrieve his heart. Cyrus and the rest were right; he couldn't go through life empty. As much as he thought he would enjoy it, he had to admit to himself he was growing weary of feeling absolutely nothing.

And he would be no good to Anastasia if he was still lacking his heart.

"Ow!" Cyrus exclaimed, jumping slightly as his cry pulled Will out of his thoughts.

"Sorry mate, I didn't mean to kick you," he apologized. "I'm quite an idiot when I'm not paying attention."

"Hey, he admitted he's an idiot!" Ruby teased, walking by again.

Will turned around to look at her with an annoyed, but amused, expression. "Do you have something better to do? Like possibly working?"

Ruby shrugged and laughed. "I am working, it isn't my fault I have this excellent sense of hearing and it instantly picked up you finally admitting you're an idiot. I'm filing that away for future reference."

"Bloody hell," Will groaned, turning back around in his seat.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Cyrus said, glancing towards the clock. He really should get back and help Belle out. She swore she wanted no help reorganizing certain sections in the library, but he still didn't want to leave her with all that work alone.

"Oh, what Ruby said? Nah, I'm not fussed about that. Just sorry I kicked you, I didn't mean to. I suppose we should get going before Granny starts charging us rent for sitting here," Will said while getting up to pay the bill.

As they walked out of the diner, back out into the frosty morning, Will grinned and thanked Cyrus for his company. "I think it might be time to take another little adventure," he explained.

Cyrus smiled, glad to hear Will was finally moving forward with his life. In truth, he'd much rather stay in Storybrooke than chance the dangers of wherever this new adventure would take them, but he'd do anything to help a friend and did feel he owed Will for helping Alice.

Will rolled his eyes when he noticed the genie smiling at his words. Why had he let Alice and Cyrus put the idea of love back in that empty place his heart had once been? "Bloody hell, you really are just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

_AN: I'm not sure where this one came from, I seem to like trying to throw Will and Cyrus together to chat I suppose. Hope it was enjoyable at any rate, not sure if I wrote Ruby all that well. I haven't watched the episodes she's in lately and I've quit watching OUAT (unless they bring over Alice and Cyrus), as this Oz angle is just of no interest to me, and they've offed my favourite character and rumour has it another is to go._

_Seriously, they need to give OUATIW another chance...my own opinion the story is a lot more cohesive. And the characters are ten time more interesting. Unpopular opinion I know._

_Oh yes, I mentioned something about Cyrus and sleeping. It is referenced from **Safe** as I mention it somewhere in there as well. I said I've done reading on genie mythology which is quite interesting. There is a lot out there so I took what would work for the purpose of this AU series, but either way one thing I read was genies sleep in between masters, so I thought with Alice gone from Wonderland he may well fall into a sleep again. Not to mention at the end of the first episode he looks downright confused when he wakes up._

_Anyway, hope this is enjoyable...the fact people are enjoying what I write is starting to make me anxious for reasons i cannot explain. So to those who have been reviewing, thanks so much. :) I do enjoy reading the reviews you leave._


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